(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hair styling devices and particularly to those used to style tightly curled or "kinky" hair.
(2) Prior Art
It has been found by practitioners in the art of hair styling that persons with tightly curled or kinky hair present substantial problems in hair styling. Typically, styling the hair of a person with such tightly curled or kinky hair requires an initial step of shampooing and drying the hair. Generally, a heated pressing comb is repeatedly drawn through the hair to straighten the hair. After the hair is straightened, a hair style is imparted using curling irons and setting techniques typical of other styling procedures. Frequently, the method used in styling tightly curled or kinky hair necessitates the use of four separate devices (a blow dryer, a heater, a pressing comb and curling irons) to produce a total hair style. This represents substantial difficulty and expense to persons seeking to perform hair styling upon individuals having such tightly curled or kinky hair.
The foregoing problems associated with hair styling tightly curled hair have led practitioners in the art to develop devices which aid in styling such tightly curled hair.
While the foregoing described devices provide some beneficial operation in hair styling and drying, there remains a need in the art for a compact, effective, easy-to-use pressing comb and blow dryer which may be manufactured at a low cost and which is easy to use by hair stylists.
Examples of two such devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,166 and U.S. Pat. 4,314,405.
U.S. Pat. 3,847,166 illustrates a hair shaper in which a heated comb structure is designed to cooperate with and nest within a heat conductive shaping board. The latter has a generally curved structure suitable for being passed over the subject's hair and applying heat thereto while the friction between the hair and the curved surface draws the curly hair to a more straight orientation. Once the hair is drawn straight, the heat tends to set the hair in its straightened configuration.
U.S. Pat. 4,314,405 set forth a hair cutting device which includes a reversible motor and heating element disposed within a housing having a central passage extending therein. The general appearance of the device resembles a conventional blow-dryer. A fan within the housing is capable of being driven in a suction mode by activation of a drive motor. In the suction mode, hair is drawn into the housing and brought into contact with a plurality of hair cutting impeller blades whereby the hair is cut at a predetermined length defined by the extension of the housing. In addition, the direction of fan motion may be reversed to a blower mode and a heater activated which produces a more conventional blower dryer operation.